"Climate change and air quality cannot be treated separately," Taalas stressed.

Source: https://timesofmalta.com/articles/view/climate-change-worsening-heatwaves-air-quality-un.1053655

However, WMO is sounding the alarm that we will breach the 1.5°C level on a temporary basis with increasing frequency,” WMO Secretary-General Petteri Taalas said in today’s announcement.

Source: https://gizmodo.com/earth-now-on-track-to-reach-1-5-degrees-of-warming-by-2-1850445235

“If there would have been a normal operating meteorological service, they could have issued the warnings,” World Meteorological Organization head Petteri Taalas told reporters in Geneva.

Source: https://federalnewsnetwork.com/world-news/2023/09/libyan-city-buries-thousands-in-mass-graves-after-flood-while-mayor-says-death-toll-could-triple/

Professor Petteri Taalas, WMO Secretary-General, says, "In 2022, many countries in western and south-western Europe had their warmest year on record."

Source: https://phys.org/news/2023-06-europe-fast-continents-climate.html

Still, there are “some signs of hope” – including a turn toward renewable energies and more electric cars, which help reduce the amount of carbon that is spewed into the atmosphere, trapping heat inside, Mr Taalas said.

Source: https://www.barryanddistrictnews.co.uk/news/national/23958772.un-weather-agency-says-2023-hottest-year-record---extremes-ahead/?ref=rss

“The return to normal level might take even thousands of years because we already have such a high concentration of carbon dioxide, and we have lost the melting of glaciers and sea level game,” said Taalas.

Source: https://ticotimes.net/2023/05/17/un-warns-2023-2027-projected-as-hottest-five-year-period-ever-recorded

We need to be prepared,” said Petteri Taalas.

Source: https://stluciatimes.com/154574/2023/05/global-temperatures-set-to-break-records/